A Hat in Time II - Chapter 1: Searing Wasteland
by k2think
Summary: Hat Kid falls into a new adventure while the home she lived in falls with her. What dangers will await Hat Kid in this new planet and what new friends will she make?


**Act 1: Shipwrecked**

Hat Kid falls into the planet among the debris of her ship and spots her trusty umbrella. She dives quickly grabbing the umbrella and deploys it so she can safely fall to the ground. She watches her home crash into the desert below unsettling the desert sands below as gusts of wind build up a sandstorm that forces Hat Kid to plummet into a sand dune. Struggling to get out for a moment she finally forces her way out of the dune and uses her umbrella to try to shield her from the sandstorm. When the storm subsides she lowers her umbrella and shakes her hair to get rid of the sand coating it. The sun now exposed beats on the sand heavily, heating it up and begins to burn Hat Kid's feet in which she starts jumping from the pain. She runs to the nearby wreckage of her ship and digs through the debris hoping to find her wardrobe or at least some protection from the sun. Beneath the rubble she uncovers her wardrobe and jumps in it changing into her trademark outfit. Only a few moments in the sun Hat Kid feels the heat overwhelming and forces her to find shelter in the shadows of the rubble. Contemplating what to do next she hears squeaking from behind then turns around spotting a huge rodent that causes her to scream in fear. Hat Kid breathes heavily until the rodent begins to speak in a squeaky voice. "Hello, traveler! My name is Sally and I am a Mulgara! Is this your junk raining down?" Hat Kid nods while holding back her laughter from the Mulgara's silly voice and Sally embarrassingly continues. "Ahem, you better clean it up little miss. It's not a good idea to leave everything in the open, someone could take it." Hat Kid vision starts to fade while Sally continues talking then Hat Kid passes out from the heat.

Hat Kids wakes up to find herself in a stone house with a wet towel on her forehead. Sally pops overhead surprising Hat Kid to near death once again. "Well your not prepared for the heat little one. I will help you with that but you need to go gather ten cloth pieces laying around the city and I'll alter your outfit so it will withstand the heat. The only payment I want is for your help to drive out the evil Mongoose Raiders that steal from my people." Hat Kid agrees to help Sally out and exits the house into the harsh environment. Her vision readjusts to the bright light of the the sun beating down on the sands of the ruined city. Carefully running through the city Hat Kid avoids the sun by staying in the shadows only getting out of it's safety to beat up the Raiders. Collecting all the cloth pieces she needs Hat Kid returns to the stone house and Sally dashes around Hat Kid fixing her outfit. Sally explains that the cloth Hat Kid retrieved has an unique property that will protect her from the heat then presents a new hat. Hat Kid claims the new hat while Sally says that when she uses the hat, it will engulf the top of her weapon with fire. Hat Kid tests out her outfit by running into the sunlight unaffected then uses the new Flare Hat to engulf her umbrella with fire for a few seconds. Hat Kid uses it to defeat most of the Raiders around the city until arriving at the last Raider warning her of their fortress filled with even more Raiders resting from a raid on her ship. Hat Kid lifts her umbrella but the Raider fleas in terror dropping a time piece.

Hat Kid returns to Sally with the time piece on hand and by using it's power Hat Kid restores her bedroom with Sally remarking in awe. "Wow! That's amazing! It's like magic yet somehow familiar!" Hat Kid and Sally enter into the restored bedroom when Sally remembers of tales when their planet was on the verge of collapse the ancient guardians used what they knew as magical tools to restore the planet's health. The knowledge of the magical tools was recorded on tablet but when the Raiders invaded their city they stole them along with their food and treasures. "If you help us finally purge these Raiders from our once great city we will entrust you with the tablets and let keep any magical tools you find." Hat Kid peers into her telescope looking around the city until she spots the fortress in the center of the city unguarded.

**Act 2: Raiding the Raiders**

Arriving at the entrance Hat Kid eagerly kicks the door ready to retrieve her possessions but instead hurts her foot forcing her to jump in pain. Unsuccessful at budging the door Hat Kid then uses her Kid's Hat to spot an open ceiling glass with stack of boxes that lead up towards the roof. Darkness enshrouds her while entering the fortress and she decides to cautiously stealth in by tip toeing throughout the build to retrieve her stuff. Maneuvering around the halls and defeating some patrols Hat Kid finally collects most of her possessions and even rescues rumbii from struggling to vacuum a sand filled room. She arrives at the last room spotting a time piece in the center but when she moves towards it a muscular Raider jumps in. "Hey! Get away from our prize little girl! If you don't run now I will force you out and I sure do love using force!" Hat Kid swings her umbrella with all her might but the Raider laughs. "That all you got? It did nothing! Oh, this will be so much fun... FOR ME!" Hat Kid scrambles around avoiding his attacks until she uses her Flare Hat's power setting her umbrella ablaze. "Wait! Did your umbrella just catch on fire? You know kids shouldn't play with fire!" Hat Kid swings the empowered umbrella finally hurting muscular Raider greatly and after a few more swings he begins to retreat in fear. "This is not the last you seen from me, little girl! I will make sure you pay next time!" He barrels through the door while trying to pat out the flames on his body leaving the time piece unguarded. Hat Kid jumps up and retrieves the time piece quickly making her exit before the other Raiders wake up.

Hat Kid returns to her bedroom when Sally jumps out to welcome her back and as she congratulates Hat Kid the noise of stampeding echoes through the area. Hat Kid and Sally run out to find a horde of Raiders are swarming the streets when Sally's face begins to grow pale while looking back towards Hat Kid then nervously speaks. "Oh no... now that all the Raiders have woken up they will run rampant through the city destroying it until nothing is left! Please miss, help us! I will do anything you ask for the rest of my life so please help my people!" Hat Kid runs back to her telescope to find to locate the Mulgaras that are in the most distress then enters the city hoping she won't be too late to help.

**Act 3: Whack A Mongoose**

Hat Kid rushes to aid the Mulgaras using her Flare Hat to swiftly defeat the group of Raiders and finds a shard of a time piece left behind furthering her purpose to defeat them. Sally rushes to Hat Kid's side wanting to help drive the Raiders out of her city and Hat Kid nods accepting the aid then rushes into battle as she yells. "Let's GOOOO!" Traveling throughout the city and desert wastes defeating the majority of the Raiders also collecting shards while receiving praise from the Mulgaras until they arrive at a makeshift prison filled with baby Mulgaras. Behind a nearby building Sally softly tells Hat Kid her plan to divide the Raiders while she rescues the babies by carrying them on her back and Hat Kid nods in agreement. Hat Kid jumps out with her umbrella ablaze ready to distract the Raiders while Sally rescues the babies but the Raiders swiftly notice the diversion then abruptly rush towards Sally. Hat Kid uses her Sprint Hat to speed ahead of them stopping in front of Sally and switches to the Time Stop Hat to slow time down to finally defeat the last group of Raiders. Collecting another shard Hat Kid notices she is still missing one last shard when she notices a shadow casts over her.

Hat Kid turns around to view the muscular Raider on top of a building in which he sarcastically congratulates her. "Congratulations, pest! You defeated my underlings to my surprise! Let me reintroduce myself! I am known as the Relic Hunter!" He reaches behind him lifting a stack of tablets as he mockingly continues. "Are you not looking for these tablets?" He jumps off with a smirk while throwing the tablets around the city to make his escape into the desert. Angry Hat Kid heads to her bedroom telescope to locate all the tablets but before getting too far the Mulgaras swarm out to thank her for saving them with the mayor exclaiming. "Thank you! You saved us! When they had us captured we noticed they had a magical tool so we broke it and managed to keep one of the shards from the guards. This might not be much but as thanks for your help you have our eternal gratitude and this shard!" Hat Kid collects the shard completing the time piece and returns to her telescope to find the tablets scattered in the city.

**Act 4: ****Relic Hunter**

Hat Kid enters into the city once again to collect the tablets but as she starts her journey the Relic Hunter jumps out on top of a building. "Can you collect all of these and protect these Mulgaras at the same time?" He starts pummeling the Mulgaras as Hat Kid equips her Sprint Hat to change towards him then transitions to her Flare Hat and with a few swings of her umbrella the Relic Hunter retreats again. She returns to running through the whole city and desert to retrieve the tablets while fighting the last remaining Raiders until she finds the last tablet. Sally runs to Hat Kid explaining that the Relic Hunter has kidnapped their babies once again and that he would be waiting back at the fortress where they met. Hat Kid passes the broken doors entering the room filled with baby Mulgaras while a shadow sneaks from behind and steals her hat. "So this is where your power comes from little one. Not so high and might now, huh?" He rips her hat into shreds while laughing but in the corner of Hat Kid's tearful eye she spots Sally whispering that she will fix the hat and retreats to the shadows. The Relic Hunter begins his assault on Hat Kid as she gracefully dodges each attack and to Relic Hunters dismay he remarks. "Hey! Quick dodging my attacks and take them like a warrior!" Sally scurries into the room collecting the shreds of the hat and quickly repairs it then throws it back to Hat Kid while shouting. "You can defeat him! We believe in you! I'll rescue the babies!" Hat Kid grabs the hat and grins at the Relic Hunter with an evil smile while he begins to look back at the exit now filled with all the Mulgaras of the city. Hat Kid uses her Flare Hat them moves in closer to the Relic Hunter while he weeps and pleads for his life. Landing the final hit a time piece is left where the former Relic Hunter stood and Hat Kid reclaims her time piece with the cheers of the Mulgaras.

Before returning to her bedroom the Mulgaras throw her a party for freeing them. They start dance to music and eat the many local cuisine throughout the night until everyone at party fall asleep. Hat Kid wakes up on top of a pile of hay wiping her eyes as she views all the Mulgaras still sleeping on the city streets and even spots Sally on top of the table with food still in hand. Hat Kid grabs the tablets and time piece finally returning to her bedroom to make out what information they have in store for her. Once assembled the tablets depict a cavern out in the desert that leads to an underground city with a two-headed snake guardian protecting a large temple. Hat Kid looks through her telescope to find the cavern but there are so many rock formations she can't figure out which one is the cavern.

**Act 5: Underground City**

She enters the desert to find the cavern but with the debris of her ship still covering the terrain she will have a harder time finding it and even with using her Kid's Hat she can't track down the entrance. Sally with a few Mulgaras from the city come out to help and with their combined effort they finally discover a cavern with stairs laced with ancient writing on the walls leading to the underground city. They look in awe of the ancient city for a few moments and continue to the temple at the furthest wall of the cavern. They arrive at the entrance of the temple and try to open the doors but only exhaust themselves. Sally finds ancient writing on the floor and deciphers that there are buttons throughout the city that have to be triggered in order to open the doors. Hat Kid sets out into the city while the Mulgaras rest with Sally trying to cool them down with a large leaf. Hat Kid runs around the city triggering the buttons until she jumps on the last one which lifts the floor beneath the Mulgaras revealing a time piece inside. She uses her Sprint Hat and returns to the temple to collect the time piece but as soon as she takes it the temple doors start to slowly open while the cavern trembles.

The ancient guardian abruptly emerges out the temple flying through the air as both of it's heads hiss until it's enormous body finally exits the temple. Everyone looks at the massive being with fright and it began talking in a booming loud voice that sent chills down their spines. "Who DARES wake me?" The guardian slithers it's heads down towards everyone then focuses on Hat Kid still holding the time piece frozen with fear. "Hmmm... such a small creature dares disturb my slumber and even has the foolishness to steal one of the magical tools I guard." The guardian reels it's heads back readying to strike but it's heads hit the cavern ceiling. "Ooowww! I don't remember this cavern being so small maybe I've grown in the centuries I slept. Well luck is on your side this time little one! If you dare want to know more about the magical tools then meet me outside! I will be waiting!" The guardian forcefully flies into the ceiling causing the cavern to collapse but by using the temple as shelter Hat Kid and the Mulgaras survive the devastation. Hat Kid uses the new exit to reach the city above and enters her bedroom once again to use her telescope to find the guardian patiently waiting in the desert where she first landed.

**Act 6: The Guardian**

Hat Kid arrives at the gates to the desert wastes and Sally awaits her explaining how she may of found a weakness while they were trapped in the temple. Sally tells Hat Kid that the guardian has yet not shed it's skin meaning that if Hat Kid targets some of it's scales with enough attacks they could fall off creating a chance for her to damage the guardian. Hat Kid hugs Sally tightly thanking her for all her help but Sally could tell Hat Kid is still trembling and wraps around softly while she says some words of encouragement. "Oh, little one it's okay to be afraid. All of us are afraid too but look at what you have achieved in the little time you have been here. You helped us so much with no question and got rid of the Mongoose Raiders. You united and inspired our people like never before letting us find our own strength. Your power doesn't only come from your hat or weapon but the people you help and connect with. So use our strength and help you once more to repay our debt to you!" Hat Kid stops shaking then rests her hand gently on Sally accepting the help then they continue to the desert towards the guardian.

They stand before the guardian as he bellows with amazement at seeing everyone on the desert floor. "Wow, everyone here must want to meet their end! Foolishness, numbers will not save you!" The guardian lunges towards the ground as everyone scatters around the desert and Hat Kid manages to dodge the attack then jump onto the guardian's body while a sand scatters once it's body lands. The guardian gets it's heads stuck into a dune giving Hat Kid time to find a loose scale and uses her Flare Hat to expose the soft skin below with a few swings. Taking one mighty swing at the flesh causes the guarding to reel back in pain almost tossing Hat Kid off but she only holds on by her fingertips. Sally sees Hat Kid in trouble and moves in front of the guardian's view then begins to shout insults at him while the other Mulgaras run onto it's back to help Hat Kid by trying to loosen more scales. The guardian bellows once more, annoyed with the nuisance. "So... this is how it's going to be then. Let me see how you fair without the brain of your little operation and these pests!" It lunges at Sally quickly devouring her then lifts up into the air with great speed causing everyone to fall off. Hat Kid uses her umbrella to land safely with tears streaming down her cheeks mourning Sally but knowing she must not let Sally's sacrifice go in vain and defeat the guardian so she holds her tears back then looks at the guardian with anger.

The fight continues and thanks to everyone breaking more scales loose Hat Kid only has to find a way to get on the guardian's body to hopefully defeat it. It circles around in the air then lunges at Hat Kid but using her Time Stop Hat she easily dodges the attack and jumps onto it's back before the hat's effect wears off then she uses her Flare Hat to remove the scales but before attacking the flesh the guardian spits something at Hat Kid. Back on the desert floor covered with phlegm Hat Kid tries to shake it off and spots Sally laying on the desert next to her. Hat Kid places her hand on Sally and she jumps up remarking how gross that was. Happy to see her friend again Hat Kid gives her a tight squeeze phlegm and all. The guardian hovers overhead and with a clearing of his throat begins to speak. "You have proven yourself here today little one. The compassion and love you share with these Mulgaras is genuine and I yield to you. I deem you worth of our most ancient treasure the magical tools but you only retrieved my blessing. You will have to receive the other three guardians' blessing in order to open the floors beneath my temple where the magical tools sit. For your effort I bestow onto you my magical tool." Hat Kid walks towards the guardian and grabs the time piece with the cheers of the Mulgaras. Hat Kid uses the power of all her time pieces in the desert to restore another part of her ship the control room and in a flash the room is restored and combines with her bedroom. She enters her control room with the grateful greeting of rumbii and uses her telescope to the area described by the guardian.

To be continued in Chapter 2: The Hyro-Dome


End file.
